ELAINE FREIRE
Queens Village,NY
Summary
Dynamic HR leader with over a decade of progressive experience in employee relations, talent strategy, and organizational effectiveness within complex healthcare environments. Recognized as a trusted advisor to senior leaders and HR Business Partners, with expertise in supporting large-scale organizations and diverse employee populations. Skilled in leveraging workforce insights and business acumen to enhance employee engagement, retention, and leadership effectiveness while fostering a positive organizational culture. Prepared to return to the workforce and apply extensive HR experience in a strategic leadership capacity, driving business performance through a people-centered approach that aligns HR initiatives with overarching strategic goals.
Overview
1
1
Language
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Specialist, Culture Experience & Design
NORTHWELL HEALTH
05.2023 - 09.2025
- Partnered with senior leaders and HR Business Partners to develop and execute enterprise employee experience strategies supporting approximately 90,000 employees across a complex healthcare organization.
- Led strategic employee engagement and recognition initiatives designed to strengthen organizational culture, employee connection, morale, and retention, aligning programs with enterprise values and business priorities.
- Analyzed quantitative and qualitative workforce data, including employee survey insights, to identify engagement trends, workforce needs, and opportunities to improve the employee experience.
- Translated workforce insights into actionable recommendations and partnered with HR leadership to develop, implement, and monitor targeted strategies and action plans.
- Served as a strategic advisor to senior stakeholders and HR Business Partners, leveraging employee insights and industry benchmarks to inform experience strategies and organizational priorities.
- Led end-to-end employee recognition vendor partnerships, including vendor sourcing, program design, contract negotiation, implementation, and ongoing performance management, ensuring scalable and effective program delivery.
- Designed and delivered leader enablement resources, including training, toolkits, job aids, and communications, to drive consistent adoption and execution of enterprise HR programs.
Senior Specialist, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Northwell Health
12.2021 - 05.2023
- Led enterprise-wide EDI calendar and event management fostering awareness and engagement across diverse employee groups.
- Worked alongside technology teams to upgrade internal web platform, supporting employee resource groups in accessing and utilizing data analytics for strategic growth programming and member engagement.
- Managed content strategy and distribution for organization-wide ERG newsletters, effectively communicating initiative success stories and opportunities for involvement to broad employee audience.
Human Resources Generalist
MEDISYS HEALTH NETWORK
01.2020 - 12.2021
- Partnered with the Vice President of Human Resources and business leaders on employee relations, engagement, talent acquisition, performance management, recognition, and workforce strategy supporting approximately 2,000 employees at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center.
- Served as a trusted HR advisor to managers and employees on performance management, conflict resolution, disciplinary matters, policy interpretation, and complex employee relations issues.
- Conducted fact-finding and formal workplace investigations involving policy violations and employee misconduct; synthesized findings and provided recommendations regarding appropriate corrective and performance management actions.
- Supported enterprise performance management processes, including semi-annual reviews and career development planning.
- Leveraged employee interviews, surveys, observations, and performance data to identify trends related to morale, engagement, culture, turnover, and performance improvement.
- Managed monthly Employee Excellence Award program to enhance recognition practices and reinforce organizational values.
- Directed workforce deployment and job reassignment efforts during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting critical staffing requirements and operational continuity.
Talent Acquisition Specialist
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER
06.2018 - 11.2019
- Managed full-cycle recruitment and strategic sourcing for hard-to-fill clinical, operational, and corporate positions, partnering with hiring leaders to define workforce needs, requisitions, candidate profiles, and selection strategies.
- Developed inclusive sourcing and selection strategies and standardized candidate evaluation processes to promote consistent, equitable, and high-quality hiring decisions.
- Conducted candidate screening and interviews, assessing qualifications, role fit, credentials, and applicable healthcare compliance requirements; presented qualified candidates to hiring leaders and incorporated feedback to continuously refine recruiting strategies.
- Negotiated competitive compensation packages aligned with market trends and organizational guidelines, supporting the attraction and acceptance of top talent.
- Managed candidates throughout the offer, pre-employment, and onboarding process, providing clear communication and a consistent, positive candidate experience.
- Monitored and reported talent acquisition metrics to senior leadership, providing insights that supported workforce planning, data-driven decision-making, and continuous improvement of recruiting practices.
Onboarding Coordinator, Talent Acquisition
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER
02.2017 - 05.2018
- Coordinated new-hire onboarding, including i-9 and visa processes, and employee transition activities within a complex healthcare environment to support employee integration.
- Managed communications between candidates, hiring managers, and HR partners to ensure seamless candidate-to-employee transitions.
- Tracked candidate progress through HRIS systems, maintaining updated records and resolving processing issues.
- Monitored background check and clearance status, escalating exceptions to appropriate stakeholders for resolution.
- Streamlined onboarding processes by creating and implementing comprehensive checklists for new hires.
Executive Assistant, Executive Search
HERBERT MINES ASSOCIATES, INC.
01.2014 - 01.2016
- Facilitated a retained executive search team in delivering tailored recruitment solutions for retail-sector clients.
- Coordinated search processes, fostering strong relationships with clients and candidates while managing scheduling, research, and business development.
- Managed multiple concurrent executive search engagements in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
- Supported a retained executive search team in delivering recruitment services for retail-sector clients.
Education
Master of Science - Human Resources Management
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY05-2023
Bachelor of Arts - English of Language Arts
Hunter College
New York, NYSkills
Employee Experience & Engagement
- Employee Relations Employee Insights & Feedback Employee Recognition Employee Lifecycle Management Organizational Culture Employee Satisfaction
Talent & Workforce Management
- Talent Acquisition Talent Management Workforce Analytics Performance Management Talent Development Career Mobility Conflict Resolution
Risk, Compliance & Workplace Practices
- HR Compliance Workplace Investigations Policy Interpretation EEO/AA Employee Relations Diversity & Inclusion Initiatives
HR Technology & Systems
- Workday HCM PeopleSoft HCM ADP Workforce Now iCIMS LinkedIn Recruiter HiringSolved OpenMoves Perceptyx Kronos Chrome River
Business & Productivity Tools
- Microsoft Excel Word PowerPoint Outlook Microsoft Teams Asana Mondaycom
Languages
Spanish
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
Senior Specialist, Culture Experience & Design
NORTHWELL HEALTH
05.2023 - 09.2025
Senior Specialist, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Northwell Health
12.2021 - 05.2023
Human Resources Generalist
MEDISYS HEALTH NETWORK
01.2020 - 12.2021
Talent Acquisition Specialist
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER
06.2018 - 11.2019
Onboarding Coordinator, Talent Acquisition
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER
02.2017 - 05.2018
Executive Assistant, Executive Search
HERBERT MINES ASSOCIATES, INC.
01.2014 - 01.2016
Master of Science - Human Resources Management
Stony Brook University
Bachelor of Arts - English of Language Arts
Hunter College